[ludacris] wake uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup! [rooster crows] i see the sunshine gazing through the window pane (yeah) blazin like indo flame; it’s to wake up!! come to yo’ sense manye snow is all around you, but you don’t play in the winter games! cartridges surround you, but you ain’t playin nintendo games! load ’em up and fill ’em up, to the top before you c*ck and aim tryna get from the bottom to the top, like the stock exchange shower sh*t and shave and hit the corner for a block exchange amazing what my people’ll (do), for some pocket change but maybe this ain’t the life that you chose (chose) this is the life where you stay strapped and pack a knife or end up with a blooded nose street survivor or survivor of the streets! (streets!) and only the strong survive, there’s no survival for the weak! (weak!) catch a sneak peak of death if you ain’t on ya ps and qs they carry banana clips and n*gg*z’ll peel you for ya shoes it’s the (blues), but not on (hill street) hmm, you could call it, “kill or be killed” street “lost a pint of blood, let it spill” street stop and wake uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!!!! [rooster crows] wake uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!!!! [rooster crows]

[chorus] they say my folks’ll do whatever for the fortune and the fame and it’ll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but i’m sayin use your brain homie, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em) use your brain homie, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em) you say the only family that you got is in a gang and the only way to make it is by sellin cocaine, but i’m sayin use your brain homie, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em) use your brain homie, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em)

[common] i’ve been in this ‘ere since we were drinkin beers years we’ve spent together, used to break up, get together, split a fight every night, gettin cheddar, movin white our thang, so we had to (do it right) like spike holdin 40s, gettin green on acres, these broads were our mules that’s when we used to serve in front of com’wealth school fuel for cars and jewels, chains and tools it was (organized) crime but we remained (konfused) mom in the pews, singin, “lord, protect ’em” you might not a-gree with our views, but you had to respect ’em diamonds in the rough, but were we reflectin a system that’s aburpt, the streets, or no ?pressure? one morning in the mirror, i seen my reflection a young man with good spirits, but needed direction i guess my man’s death, was my (ressurection) ’cause now i hear him sayin from heaven, “wake up! (wake uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaahhhhh-) wake up! wake up! wake up! wake up! (aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh-up!) wake up! wake up! wake up! wake up!”

[chorus w/ common rapping the 3rd+4th and 7th+8th line]

[ludacris] i, woke up this morning and got a call my pot’nah said he had news about a girl named baby doll she got fo’ baby daddies – fo’ kids by fo’ different men and she just found out she’s pregnant, i said, “no, not again!” man, when she gonna learn she don’t wanna spend her life in court? lookin for back payments and fightin for that child supports chasin checks, chasin her ounce of respect, chasin paper chasin entertainers or rappers and ballplayers not carin about a condom, i say, “help her lord, please” ‘fore she stuck wit mo’ babies or ends up fightin some di-sease you know that you a momma and mommas, we cain’t lose ya (no!) treat yourself better, you carry seeds to the future (whoo!) and the future looks dim if we don’t get ourselves together we gotta sacrifice, some do whatever for the cheddar so make the right decisions ’til you ready to give birth and know that you the most precious gift we have on this earth babies, stop and wake uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!! [rooster crows] wake uuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!!! [rooster crows]

[chorus 2] they say my folks’ll do whatever for the fortune and the fame and it’ll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but i’m sayin use your brain baby, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em) use your brain baby, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em) you say you want a family but it’s hard without a mayne and the only way to make it is to get him fo’ his change, but i’m sayin use your brain baby, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em) use your brain baby, do the right thang! (lemme talk to ’em)